Reading the geological time scale in ornamental rock with Laura Damas

One of the most interesting visits we received in the old Angurreta quarry was by geologist Laura Damas, who gave us a masterclass in identifying the fossils trapped inside the blocks of marble that we have been working on. We learned all about rudists, extinct bivalve molluscs from the Cretaceous period, and how to recognise their forms in the red marble that lines the hallways of Bilbao appartments.

Of course, she also had to remind us that none of the ornamental stones we are working on can strictly speaking be classified as marble, from a geological point of view. Which does not preclude their value as cultural heritage: Together with Arantza Aranburu, Laura Damas is responsible for placing Rojo Ereño on the international list of 55 global heritage stones in 2024.

It was an inspiring visit, which left us with the profound and sobering awareness of how all that hard, rocky mass that rises up to shape the spectacular mountainous landscape of Basque Country once used to be hidden under the horizon of a placid sea.